More South Africans looking to emigrate

There has been a rise in the number of South Africans applying for citizenship or residence overseas, according to emigration specialists.

A recent report revealed that South African citizens are currently allowed to enter 97 countries around the world without having to apply for a visa beforehand. Some of these nations allow the more affluent South African passport holders to apply for citizenship or residency once there, with the US, the UK, Cyprus and Malta being among the most popular options for would be emigrants.

Meanwhile, some island nations in the Caribbean charge just R1.2m for South Africans to gain citizenship.

Immigration and emigration lawyer Chris Watters revealed that up until the end of 2014 they would receive roughly one emigration inquiry every two weeks, but that now the number was up to around 10 a day.

Andrew Taylor, vice-chairman and Henley & Partners, noted that they had seen spike of around 50 per cent compared to the same period last year, and that they were now receiving five to 10 inquiries daily.

He went on to explain that the majority of South Africans wanted to emigrate to improve their children’s future prospects by offering them a better education and, ultimately, the opportunity of better jobs. He added that a number of businesses were also contacting them about relocating to North American and Europe.